1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to liquid dispensers. In particular, the invention relates to devices for dispensing liquids, such as soap or softener, into clothes washing machines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Clothes washing machines have greatly automated the household chore of washing clothes. In most washing machines, however, the tasks of adding liquid detergent and softeners remains a manual operation. The clothes are loaded into the machine, and then the detergent and softeners are measured and added to the tub by hand.
Attempts have been made in the past to automate the clothes washing operation as much as possible, especially for large industrial sized washing machines, by providing an automatic detergent and softener dispenser. Some of these devices were designed for liquids and others are for powders. However, in general, the prior art devices are complicated and expensive to manufacture, to use, and to maintain.
There remains, therefore, a need for an inexpensive, automatic liquid dispenser for home washing machines. It is especially important that the dispenser be easy to use and to maintain.